Letter to the Editor: Without secure borders

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2003 have heightened America's awareness of border security. Illegal immigration is a serious problem, but one that can be solved if our elected officials take appropriate steps to stop the invading force from the south.

What kind of signal does amnesty for illegal immigrants send to others contemplating a similar action? The Congress should reject any bill that gives lawbreakers a free pass and makes their actions legal. What is needed is serious enforcement of the current laws and deportation.

There is always the call to expand NAFTA further south, into South America. NAFTA, when first proposed, was supposed to raise the standard of living in Mexico, slow the flood of illegal immigration and create jobs here. None of this happened. Mexicans are still among the lowest paid workers in the hemisphere. Illegal immigrants still stream across our border, 1.5 million a year.

As Ronald Reagan once said, "A country without secure borders ceases to be a nation."